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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28987137">Just the Way You Are</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ticklishanimeboysaremylife/pseuds/Ticklishanimeboysaremylife'>Ticklishanimeboysaremylife</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Breakfast Club (1985)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Body insecurity, Fluff, Other, Tickle Fights, Tickle fic, Tickling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 09:35:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,502</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28987137</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ticklishanimeboysaremylife/pseuds/Ticklishanimeboysaremylife</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Brian is feeling insecure and Andrew helps assure him that his fears are unwarranted.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Just the Way You Are</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The boys were hanging out after school, something that had suddenly become a tradition between the two. It all started when Andy approached Brian one day and asked if he wanted to play some ball in the driveway. Brian had said yes. The two never really got around to playing ball, as first Brian had wanted something to drink, which led to Andy making some comment about underage drinking, which led to Brian making a joke about getting high off lemonade, which in turn led to the two laughing their asses off in Andrew’s kitchen and eventually going downstairs to play video games.</p><p>The next time Brian had approached him, and thus it became their way that one of them would grab the other and ask them to do some arbitrary task with them that would never be accomplished. Andrew had never thought he would have a friend like Brian, but as they hung out more and more he started to question why he would ever think that would be a bad thing. </p><p>They were hanging out in his basement one day after Andy had invited Brian over to play some cards (cards that now lay discarded upon the table), and the boy in turn was telling some story about the time he and his friends had gone skinny dipping in the town creek on a dare. Brian had been chuckling as he described trying to get mud off of their unmentionables that night, but his chuckles slowly faded out as he got lost in thought. Andy noticed and paused. “Is everything alright?”</p><p>“Hmm?” Brian asked, flushing as he realized Andrew had noticed. “Uh, yeah. Everything’s fine.”</p><p>“Then what’s up, man?”</p><p>Brian picked at the hem of his sweater, the strings slowly fraying between his fingers. “I was just thinking about how you—well, all your friends really—can just skinny-dip and have it not be a big deal.”</p><p>Andrew snorted, shaking his head. “Well I mean, it wasn’t exactly a casual thing.”</p><p>“No, I know,” Brian agreed hastily. “I just meant that I could never do that. I could never… show off like that.”</p><p>“How come?” Andrew asked immediately, before quickly adding, “If you want to share, that is. No pressure or anything.”</p><p>Brian inhaled sharply, the words clearly coming difficult to him. In the end he exhaled them in one sharp rush, ripping the band-aid off to make it less painful. “I’m just not fit and cool like you guys, you know? I’m a… I’m a dweeb. I’m just this tiny, skinny thing with noodle arms and stomach fat where there should be abs and sometimes I worry that you just hang out with me because you feel sorry for me.”</p><p>He clamped his mouth shut afterwards, as though trying to reclaim the words that had escaped him. Face red with mortification, he kept his gaze stubbornly on the wall across from him and waited for Andrew to say something, anything.</p><p>Finally Andrew opened his mouth, but the words he spoke next were not the ones Brian was expecting. “Dude, why would that matter?”</p><p>Brian wrinkled his brow, crossing his arms defensively. “What do you mean? Of course it matters. Every other guy you hang out with is a buff, ripped stud that could wipe the floor with me. What on earth would you need me for?”</p><p>“I don’t hang out with you because of what you look like!” Andy scoffed, scooting closer so that Brian was forced to look him in the eyes. “I hang out with you because you’re cool. I like talking with you, and hanging out with you after school, just the two of us shooting the shit. You’re one of the smartest people I know, and excel at every class we’re in. You have an opinion on like, every topic, and you get super excited about things that most people would think are dumb or stupid. But you never give a shit what they think! That’s what I like about you; you’re just you, unapologetically, and you never change even if people think it’s weird or strange. If anything, I look up to you.”</p><p>Brian blinked at him, stunned by the outburst. At most he had expected a half-assed comment on how he wasn’t that bad, but this was so much better than he could have possibly hoped for. He stared at the ground, hoping Andrew wouldn’t see how much those simple words had meant to him.</p><p>“And hey.” Andy bumped his shoulder affectionately. “I like the way you look. You shouldn’t let anyone get down on you for that.”</p><p>“Really?” Brian asked, raising an eyebrow. “Even though I’m not some fit jock who could bench press a hundred pregnant elephants?”</p><p>Andrew laughed at the example, placing a hand on Brian’s knee and squeezing it reassuringly. “Especially because of that.” He noticed the way the other boy flinched slightly at his touch, and a glimmer came into his eyes. “But do you want to know why I’m most grateful you’re not some, as you call it, fit jock who could bench press a hundred pregnant elephants?”</p><p>Brian eyed him skeptically. “Why?”</p><p>“Because without all that muscle in the way, it makes it that much easier to tickle you!”</p><p>Brian’s eyes widened at the words, and before he knew what was happening, wiggling fingers were digging into his sides and forcing surprised giggles from his lips. “A-Ahahandrew!”</p><p>“What’s wrong?” Andy teased. “Does it tickle?”</p><p>“F-Fuhuhuck yohou!”</p><p>“Bold words from someone with a ticklish tummy in my vicinity.”</p><p>Brian squeaked as Andrew’s hand came down suddenly in a claw, vibrating across his stomach. Brian’s hands immediately came down to grab his wrist, but past that he did very little to actually protect himself. “Dohohon’t cahahall ihihit thahahahat!”</p><p>“Why?” Andy asked in a tone of mock innocence.</p><p>“B-Behehecause!”</p><p>“Because…” Andy used his other hand to scribble fingers on the lower parts of his stomach. “It makes it tickle more?”</p><p>Brian screeched, kicking his legs out wildly, but behind the hysterical giggles there was a genuine smile on his face. As soon as he saw it, Andrew knew this was helping. Though they had never officially discussed it, it wasn’t a secret to anyone that Brian liked to be tickled. All it had taken was a couple of teasing pokes and little resistance on the other side to prove the fact to them. So, whenever Brian was feeling down, Andrew took it upon himself to personally cheer the other up. Brian always complained afterwards, but hours later, after Andrew thought he had forgotten about it, Brian would mumble a thank you under his breath and Andy would feel his heart swell to know that he had made his friend happy.</p><p>Andrew didn’t go too hard on him, getting the sense that he needed something else right then. He climbed his fingers up and down his sides in continuous loops, just brushing the edges of his armpits before jumping back down to his stomach unexpectedly. By the end of the process, Brian was a mess of silly giggles with a beaming grin plastered across his face. Andy sat back against the couch, satisfied in his mission.</p><p>“You’re… you’re mean,” Brian pointed out, panting a little as he fought to regain his lost breath.</p><p>“And you love it.”</p><p>Brian refused to say anything to the comment, but Andy knew that meant he was right.</p><p>The two were silent for a moment, and then Andrew hesitantly said, “You know I meant what I said, right? I like hanging out with you man; no matter what your body type or “cool” status. You’re my friend, and friends don’t judge each other.”</p><p>Brian tugged at his lip, giving a sigh of reluctance. “Yeah, I know. Thanks. For saying all that I mean. Nobody’s ever… you know, wanted to be my friend before.”</p><p>Andrew grinned, reaching over and punching him lightly in the shoulder. “Of course, man.”</p><p>Brian sat up suddenly, his brows furrowing in that way they did when he had an idea. “You know though, there was one flaw in your argument.”</p><p>Andrew frowned warily. “Oh yeah?”</p><p>Brian nodded, turning to face him with a shit-eating grin. “You said that not being a fit jock makes me easier to t-tickle.” Brian blushed at his own stutter, forging on anyway. “But what I think you’re forgetting here is that fit jocks can be just as sensitive as I am.”</p><p>Andy was confused for a moment as he processed his words, and then he too was grinning. His was of a more helpless nature, however, as he backed up on the couch, holding out one hand in a warning gesture. “N-Now wait just a minute, you don’t have to do thihihis—nohohoho!”</p><p>Brian quickly tackled him and the day was lost to the two as it quickly transformed into a playful, laughter-filled evening. Afterwards Andrew got him back tenfold, but Brian found he didn’t really mind.</p><p>What was a little bit of tickling between friends?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>For the ask by @ohitsophia who requested a Breakfast club fic with Brian and Andy. This was super fun to write! Love these two! :)<br/>You can find me at my tumblr: https://happyandticklish.tumblr.com/</p></blockquote></div></div>
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